This invention pertains to new innovations in looseleaf books with snap ring assemblies for holding paper sheets with holes punched therein near an edge of the sheets. The invention provides one piece moldings of a spine with front and rear cover panels connected to opposite, longitudinal edges of the spine by integral, plastic, living hinges, and snap-ring assembly-mounting posts integrally molded on the inner face of the spine. The subject invention is closely related to the looseleaf books described and claimed in my copending U.S. application Ser. No. 63,863 filed Aug. 6, 1979. The disclosure of said copending application is incorporated herein by reference as if it had been set forth in its entirety.
The most common style of known, looseleaf books such as three-ring notebooks consist of rectangular paperboard or cardboard sheets forming the matrices for the front and rear cover panels and a rigid, often metal strip forming the matrix for the spine, to which the snap-ring assembly is riveted or pinned. The spine and two cover panels (one or both sides) are covered with a vinyl plastic sheet or other sheet material, the segment of the sheet at the junctures of the two longitudinal edges of the spine and the respective cover panels forming the hinges by which the cover panels are pivotally connected to the spine.
The snap ring assemblies for the known notebooks are usually fastened in the books by rivets extending through holes in the spine and aligned holes or tubular inserts in the metal strip matrix of the snap-ring assembly. The rivet heads are usually exposed on the outer, rear face of the spine.
This invention provides new combinations for mounting the snap-ring assemblies of looseleaf books on the spines thereof in a manner wherein the outer, rear face of the spine does not have exposed rivet heads thereon. The tubular post mounts for such assemblies enables an easier and simpler means for securing the assemblies on the spine.